fairy tales
by alittletasteofheaven
Summary: Because Gray and Erza's relationship can be a little, uh, complicated. — gray/erza drabbles. 08: Call it childish, but she loved teasing him.
1. Memories

**Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

He's been gone for six months.

Erza knew this mission would be a long one, she just didn't think it would take _this_ long. She had anticipated he'd be home within three months, but apparently taking down one of the stronger dark guilds by himself proved to be more difficult than she'd thought. She knew he could handle himself; He'd gone through hell to save her multiple times and lived to tell the tales. Even so, she couldn't help but worry about him, knowing that he has a habit of overexerting himself when it came to protecting the guild.

Gone for six months with no news. Anyone would be worried, right?

She sighed and stared out the windows of the guild. It was raining. She wondered if Juvia had anything to do with it, but brushed the thought aside.

"Hey, Erza. I brought you a little present! It's from me, Natsu, and Happy."

Erza looked up at Lucy's smiling face. She smiled softly at her; Lucy had been there for her during her darkest hours, when the loneliness and anxiety became too much to bear. Natsu was too, of course, goofing off as usual with Happy to cheer her up. She really was lucky to have friends like them.

"Ah, thank you Lucy. What is it?"

Lucy pulled out a box from behind her. "Strawberry shortcake! It's your favorite, right?"

Erza's face brightened immediately. "Yes! Thank you, I really appreciate this."

Lucy's smile got even wider. "But there's more. I have a letter from a certain someone that's addressed to you!" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at her.

Erza's eyes widened. _Could it be..?_

As soon as Lucy pulled the letter out of her pocket, Erza snatched it out of her hands. She tore it open quickly, eager to read its contents. Lucy chuckled and waved goodbye, saying something about going on a job with Natsu.

She gave a half-hearted wave before returning her attention to the letter.

_Erza,_

_It's been awhile since we've spoken, eh? Or well, this is more like me just speaking to you, but that doesn't matter. I bet you're worried about how this mission is going, since it's taking so damn long. I'm fine though; a few injuries and some new scars but hey, I'm alive. That guild was just too big with so many members so it took a while to wipe them out. _

_I miss you. I'm done here, so I'm coming home. Tell Flame Brain and the others hello for me, will you?_

_Wait for me a little longer. I'm on my way. _

_Gray_

Relief surged through Erza's chest. A lone tear slid down her cheek, but her smile was bright.

He was coming home. He's finally coming back to her.

Suddenly, light filtered in through the windows. She looked outside again, but this time she saw nothing but sunshine.

The storm had passed.

* * *

Ever since she received Gray's letter the previous week, Erza's mood significantly brightened. She laughed more, smiled more, and went on more jobs with Natsu and Lucy. She was finally getting back to her old self.

Night had fallen in Magnolia. Guild members were starting to go home for the night. Erza had been talking with Mirajane and Lucy when she stood up to leave.

"Leaving earlier than usual, Erza?" Mira asked.

"Yeah. The job Lucy and I took with those two idiots today really took a lot out of me. I need some rest," she sighed heavily.

Lucy smiled sheepishly. "You know Natsu and Happy. They get a little too rowdy for their own good, sometimes."

"Yes, too rowdy for _other_ people's good. You try explaining to the town's mayor and citizens why half of their harbor is destroyed by a fire-breathing idiot and his cat," Erza muttered.

Both Lucy and Mirajane sweat dropped. Natsu better watch his back tomorrow.

Erza waved her hand, dismissing the topic. "Well, goodnight you two. See you in the morning."

"Night, Erza."

She stepped out into the cool night air, ex-quipping into her normal clothes. Even she deserved to let her guard down once in a while, right?

She started the trek home, enjoying the melody of the crickets and the lights of the fireflies. She paused in her walk when the river, her favorite escape, came into view. Memories of a younger Gray flashed into her mind.

_Gray._

She walked down to the bank and sat down, staring into the water. When was he going to come back? It'd been a week since he sent the letter. Had he run into trouble on the way home? Was he alright?

Erza wrapped her arms around herself, trying to calm herself down. She was probably worrying over nothing. She tried to push her thoughts aside with memories of their younger years at this very river.

"_Hey, armor-girl! This is a mage's guild. You don't go around wearin' armor," a younger Gray sneered at Erza, pulling her chair out from under her. _

"_Why don't you take a look at yourself before telling other people how to dress? What, is this a pervert's guild?" She challenged, dusting her clothes off from her fall. _

_Laughter rung throughout the guild. Gray's face reddened. "Why you little-!"_

_Erza glanced back at him from over her shoulder. "Don't worry about me."_

She smiled wistfully now, looking back at the memory. He'd been such a fool then, always challenging her to fights. (He never won, of course.)

_He found her at the river._

"_There you are, Erza! Today's the day I'm gonna beat you!" Gray shouted, charging down the hill to her._

_He froze when she turned, a faint blush on his cheeks. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She was crying. _

_She quickly wiped her eye with her sleeve. "You again… Honestly, you just don't learn, do you?" She whipped her head towards him, her expression now challenging. "Fine then. Come and try it."_

_Gray hesitated. "Ah… no…"_

"_What's wrong? You surrendering?"_

_He tensed even further, the blush growing on his cheeks. "H-Hey… Why are you always out here on your own?" He managed to choke out._

_Erza looked down, a sad smile on her face. "I prefer being alone. Being with other people just makes me uneasy."_

"_Then why were you out here on your own crying?"_

That was the day they became friends. The day he broke down her defenses she so desperately put up. Erza felt reassuring warmth spread throughout her body. He is still the only one who has ever seen her so vulnerable.

"_Hiding?"_

_Gray looked over his shoulder at the familiar redheaded mage. "Erza."_

_She slowly made her way over to where he was sitting. "Are you alright?" she asked, knowing fully well he probably wasn't. She had come after the first day of the Grand Magic Games had drawn to a close to check up on him. _

_Gray kept his gaze on the floor. "I let everyone down, Erza. The whole stadium laughed at our guild because of me. How can I even show my face at the bar tonight?" He buried his head in his hands._

_Erza put a reassuring hand on his arm, slowly pulling his hands away. "Gray, even the best fail sometimes. No one is blaming you for what happened today." She gently tugged on his chin, making him look her in the eye. "It's okay to fail. You just need to get back up and try again."_

_He smiled softly and took her in his arms, burying his face in her scarlet hair. "Thank you, Erza."_

_She smiled, a feeling of serenity washing over her as he held her. "Anytime." She gave him one last squeeze before climbing out of his embrace. She held onto his hand a moment longer. "I better be seeing you at the bar tonight. No more moping around. We've got a competition to win." She winked at him and went to leave._

_As she was closing the door, she heard him chuckle, "Hell yeah we do."_

Erza sighed, looking out across the river. She really missed him.

"I thought you would've ended up here."

She froze at the familiar voice. It was _his_ voice. She turned, slowly, looking up the hill.

Lo and behold, there he was, in all his bandaged glory. He looked exhausted, but he had the same lazy smile on his face.

She felt tears prickling at her eyes. "Gray!"

She ran up the hill, faster than she ever had before, and jumped into his outstretched arms. He buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent. "_Erza._"

She pulled away and punched him on the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"_That_ was for being a reckless idiot and worrying me to death." Gray grumbled, rubbing his head. Erza smiled softly at him. "But I'm glad you're home."

He leaned down, kissing her softly. "Me too."

* * *

Hello, everyone! This is going to be my drabble collection consisting entirely of Grayza, but there might a side pairing of Nalu sometimes. I'm starting off with Grayza week prompts from tumblr, and then after that it'll just be random prompts and updates.

I've posted this on my tumblr: mugiwara-time, so don't get any ideas if you see it there and see it here and then think I copied myself, haha. Nope! Same person. :)

I hope I didn't portray Erza as being a little... too dependent? I guess on Gray. But I suppose worrying and loneliness can affect even the strongest people, so I hope I got that message across.

Onto Day 2 tommorow!


	2. Tears

**FT © Hiro Mashima**

* * *

_Blood. There was so much blood._

_Erza trembled as she lay on the ground, covered in wounds from head to toe. She raked her nails into the dirt, trying to ease her pain somehow. She hated feeling helpless like this. She should be out there with her friends, fighting alongside them—not just laying here in the dirt, writhing from her pain. _

_She heard the clash of metal against metal, the sound of explosions in the distance. She heard her friends yelling, fighting, and here she was, useless. Hot, angry tears pricked at her eyes. Pathetic. _

"_Erza! Hey, Erza!" Footsteps. "Oh, shit… what happened to you?"_

_She turned slightly to look at her most cherished friend, the man who meant everything to her and then some. "Gray," she rasped. _

_Gray knelt down next to her, his eyes traveling over her battered body. He reached out to brush her blood-caked hair out of her face. Erza winced in response. Even a small touch like that sent a wave of pain throughout her body. Gray withdrew his hand quickly, as if he had touched fire. "Shit. Sorry, Erza." He turned to the direction of the battle. "Wendy! I need some help, Erza's down!" he yelled._

_He was no worse for wear, though. He had cuts all over, and small bruises starting to blossom on his lightly tanned skin. _

"_Don't worry. We'll have you good as new in no time." He smiled. "Think about home. It's gonna feel so good to go home after we handle this mess."_

_Her eye caught a flash of blue running towards them. "Erza-san! I'm coming, just hold on!" Wendy yelled. Erza's heart warmed at the sight of the young girl, but then she saw a huge shadowy figure rise from behind her. Her heart almost stopped._

_Erza frantically tried to get up, but her body wouldn't allow it. Gray tried to calm her down, but she just brushed him off. The figure was enclosing on Wendy, a small glow emitting from its large mouth._

_She summoned all her willpower into her voice. "WENDY! BEHIND YOU!"_

_But she was too late. The light inside the creature's mouth was now blindingly bright. Wendy halted, turning slowly. _

"_STOP!"_

_Both Erza and Gray watched in horror as a laser shot through Wendy's tiny body, disintegrating her entire left side. She hacked up blood, her eyes wide with shock._

_And then, she fell. Motionless. _

"_WENDY!" Erza sobbed. She had no time to grieve though, as the monster was approaching Gray and herself. She desperately tried to scramble to her feet. _

"_Get out of here, Erza. I'll cover for you. GO!" Gray yelled through his tears. More monsters had appeared, enclosing them in a semi-circle. Their claws gleamed wickedly in the afternoon sun._

"_No, Gray… Don't make any sacrifices for me. You promised me! You promised that we'd fight to live, together!"_

_He hesitated, as if recalling the memory. "Damn it, Erza!" He turned, picked her up, and dashed into the forest. _

_Gray was fast, but not fast enough. The laser monsters- were there seven?- were gaining on them at an alarming rate. They licked their disgusting mouths, as if they were deciding how they would eat them. Gray looked back and suddenly, the monsters were right on top of them. He stopped and shielded Erza behind him. "Run, Erza!"_

_They attacked before she could respond. The claws sliced through his body, gouging his chest. His blood splattered everywhere, including her face. Erza raised her hand gingerly, wiping the blood off her face. She stared at it in shock, trembling like mad. She looked up again and saw Gray laid on the ground, bathed in his own blood. _

_A blood-curdling scream ripped out of her throat at the sight. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. _

_Gray was dead. _

_Gray was dead._

_GRAY WAS DEAD._

_She watched in shock as three more monsters entered the clearing. They each carried a body of her closest friends- Lucy, Natsu, Wendy. All of them either cut and bloodied, or missing body parts. They threw them on the ground along with Gray. Erza sat in stunned silence. All her friends were dead._

_The monsters looked at each other and nodded, as if saying, 'This one is the last one. Let's finish this.'_

_Erza's body shook violently with grief and fear. 'Do something!', her mind shouted at her, but her body had long lost the will to move. They all approached her, their sickeningly sharp claws raised._

_She could only stare blankly as the claws flew towards her face._

* * *

Erza woke with a scream.

She was doused in a cold sweat, her eyes wild. She knew somewhere in the back of her mind that she was home, _safe_, in bed next to her now alarmed boyfriend, but she couldn't bring herself to believe this. Images from her nightmare flashed in her mind, jolting her with new waves of fear. She distantly heard weeping, but when she felt tears drop on her hands, she realized _she_ was the one sobbing uncontrollably.

Strong arms wrapped around her shaky frame. "Erza… it's alright. I'm here." Gray soothed. Erza turned and flung her arms around him, sobbing onto his shoulder. She squeezed him so tight that Gray knew he would have angry red marks on his back come morning.

They stayed like that for a while until Erza's sobs quieted. Gray rubbed her back one last time before pulling away slightly to look into her bloodshot eyes. "A bad one, huh?" He whispered.

Erza wiped her eyes and nodded. "You… you were _murdered_ in front of me. L-Lucy, Natsu, and Wendy too." She paused to take a deep breath. "I couldn't help you. I couldn't do anything. I'm still so _weak_," she hissed.

Gray stroked her cheek gently. "Weak? You are the farthest thing from that. You've handed my ass to me so many times I lost count a long time ago. You've saved us countless times in real battles. _You are strong._"

Erza looked away. "Not strong enough," she mumbled.

Gray took her hand and placed it over his heart. "Feel that? I'm alive. You are too. We're alive because we _help_ each other, we _protect_ each other, but most importantly, we _fight _together. Even if you don't think you're strong enough- and you are – you have us, your _friends_ to fuel you with strength." He raised her hand to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on her palm. "I promised you, didn't I? I'd fight to live on with you, with our friends, with everyone at Fairy Tail. And I'll keep it forever. You know I'm a man of my word," he said, smiling softly.

Erza felt fresh tears fall down her face, but not tears of sorrow- tears of happiness. Gray was right. As long as her friends fought beside her, to _live_ beside her, she would not fail, and neither would they. They held each other up, supporting one another. She cracked a small smile at Gray.

She reached up and held his face in her hands. "How did I get so lucky with you… Thank you, Gray." She kissed him long and slow, pouring all her love for him into the kiss.

Gray was always there. Even when they were still kids, he managed to break the armor around her heart to reveal the real Erza. The Erza who wasn't always so tough. Who was insecure, vulnerable, and scared of getting hurt. But he saw through her and accepted her flaws.

She really was lucky.

* * *

Aaand Day 2 is done! I feel like every time I write Gray, I somehow make him give Erza a pep talk, lol. Or vice versa. I CAN'T STOP?

Enough with all this angst (for the most part), some major fluff will be coming tommorow!


	3. Trust

Gray walked into Fairy Tail that morning with a newfound resolve. He was going to tell her. He was finally going to make a move, after 10 years of avoiding his feelings for his best friend, Erza Scarlet. He was frustrated- for the past month, Erza had been giving him small signs of hope that she possible felt something for him too. A brush of their hands, lingering touches, and the heated stares they exchanged. He couldn't take this uncertain feeling stirring in his gut anymore. He had to get this off his chest, whether she accepted his confession or not.

He had been talking with Cana when he saw her finally walk in the guild doors. He watched as she greeted people with a small smile on her lips, her scarlet hair swishing behind her. Gods, she was beautiful.

Cana followed his line of sight, a playful smirk forming on her lips. "Hm, what's this? Gray, do you have a little crush on Erza?" She nudged his arm, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

He turned to her with a slight pout. "Crush? Cana, we're not eight anymore. Don't call it that."

"Ah, but you didn't deny it!" She clapped him on the back. "Finally growing the balls to ask her out? Gray, I'm so proud," she sniffed as she faked wiping a tear.

Gray opened his mouth to retort but instantly shut it when he saw Erza making her way over to them. "Beat it, Cana."

"Hello Gray, Cana." Erza nodded to both of them in greeting before sitting next to Gray.

Cana smiled knowingly at him. "Hey, Erza." She looked into her jug and gasped rather dramatically. "Oh, look at that. I'm all out of booze!" She winked at Gray before hopping off the table, no doubt heading to the bar.

Gray felt his hands get clammy. He shouldn't be this nervous- he'd been preparing for this moment all morning! Erza was his best friend, and he confided even his darkest secrets to her with absolute trust. A confession should be easy!

"Hey, Erza.. I need to tell you something," he managed, trying to look her straight in the eye.

Erza raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What is it?"

"Uh, well I— "

"ERZA! GRAY!" a booming voice yelled, thoroughly interrupting Gray.

They both turned to see none other than Natsu standing by the request board. Gray gave him a deathly glare. "Natsu," he seethed.

Natsu bounded over, completely oblivious to the deathly aura Gray was giving off. "Wanna go on this job? Escorting an ambassador to Seven, 300,000 jewels made easy. What do ya say? We'll ask Lucy to come too!" he said with a huge grin.

Erza took the flyer from his hands. "Hm, 300,000 jewels? I do need to pay my rent soon…" she trailed off, scratching her chin in thought. "Alright, let's go."

"Sweet! Come on, we got to go get Lucy!" Natsu said as he ran off, Happy hot on his trail yelling, "Aye sir!"

Gray inwardly groaned. Not only did Natsu interrupt him just when he was about to spill his guts, but now he had to go on a job with the flaming idiot? Wonderful.

Erza sighed as she stood, putting a hand on Gray's shoulder. "What are we going to do with that guy… Come on Gray, we've got a job to do."

* * *

The journey to Seven had gone without a hitch… until the very end.

A group of assassins had ambushed them as they were approaching the border. Natsu had immediately charged, thinking that he was enough to handle all 8 of them. They proved to be more skilled than he thought, throwing him off and continuing their assault. They eventually did manage to defeat all eight enemies, but not without a struggle. They were clearly trained and had apparently studied up on their knowledge of Fairy Tail's mages, because they knew all their strengths and weaknesses. It hadn't been the easiest fight they'd ever been in.

Seeing them all injured and banged up, the ambassador had arranged a hotel room for them and for medical supplies and extra money to be sent to their room. The man sure knew how to be grateful for having his life saved.

Night had fallen. They all agreed to rest there for the night and return to Magnolia in the morning. Lucy, Natsu and Happy took the money and went out to get them all dinner, having patched themselves up rather quickly. That left Erza and Gray alone to tend their wounds.

Gray finished bandaging himself without difficulty. Erza had wrapped her forehead and arms, now moving on to her stomach and chest. She struggled with it by herself for a while before giving up with a huff, throwing the tape on the floor.

Gray couldn't help but chuckle at her childish pout. He found it cute. "Need some help?"

Her frown only deepened. "NO!"

He sighed. "Yes you do. Give up the tough guy act, you know it doesn't work with me." He sat down behind her and began to wrap her stomach.

Erza visibly relaxed at his touch. "I know. It's just a habit, I guess."

"Why though? Why do you always put up a front with everyone? We're your friends, Erza."

Her body tensed. "Gray, this isn't something I want to ta-"

Gray quickly spun her around, gripping her arms firmly. His intense stare made Erza a little nervous. "Erza. We've known each other for more than 10 years. You gotta trust me."

Erza reached up and rubbed his forearms absentmindedly. "I do trust you, Gray. It's just… a hard topic to talk about."

His gaze softened, and Erza could've sworn his face was closer to hers than it had been a minute ago. "You can talk to me about _anything_. You know this."

She spun herself around, motioning him to continue wrapping her. "I know." She sighed heavily, caving. "I just don't want to be seen as weak. Vulnerable. Just the thought of it makes me uneasy. It scares me… the only times that I've let my guard down around people, I've gotten hurt." Ugly memories of her time at the Tower of Heaven passed through her mind. "I don't ever want to experience that again. Even if I'm surrounded by my friends, I just can't let it go."

Gray ripped off the end of the bandage, tying it together. He turned her around again to look her in the eye. "Erza, you forgot one thing though. Ever since I caught you crying when we were kids, you've never tried to guard yourself when it's just you and me." He took her hand in his, running his thumb over the back of her hand reassuringly. "Who's to say you can't try to open up to other people too?"

Erza looked away, a sad smile on her face. "Well, you're the exception. You're the only one who ever got through to me." She squeezed his hand. "Besides, people expect me to be confident and strong. They see me as the great Titania. I can't let them down, can I?"

"Erza, it's okay to be vulnerable sometimes. It doesn't make you weak; it only makes you stronger. If you have the strength to be honest with yourself and others, there's no limit to what you can do. I'm sure everyone in Fairy Tail would agree with me."

Erza smiled, a real, genuine one. "I suppose you're right. But… I'll do that when I'm ready. I want to just keep this exposure between us for now. Deal?"

Gray chuckled. "Deal. Say, Erza… do you remember when I said I had something to tell you earlier today?"

"Yeah. What was it?"

He swallowed thickly. This was it. He just hoped she couldn't feel his hand sweating. "Well… when I was younger, I asked Cana to read my fortune one day. She told me I was supposed to have brilliant luck that day, which I thought was a load of bull. I'd fallen into ditches, lost my wallet a couple times- nothing was going right, but no matter what, my fortune didn't change. Now, I think I finally understand why I supposedly had great luck that day." He looked her straight in the eye. "Do you know why?"

Erza just gave him a confused look. "No, I don't."

"That was the day you joined Fairy Tail. The girl who was in the rags and an eye patch who would someday become my closest friend. And, somewhere along the way, I found myself falling for that girl. This probably sounds super cliché and sappy but… I love you, Erza. I always have and I always will."

Erza stared at him with wide eyes, completely speechless. Gray started to panic. Oh god, she was going to laugh at him for being such a sap. She was going to reject him and avoid him and never talk to him agai—

Grays thoughts came to a halt when he saw tears falling down her cheeks. Shit, he made her cry! "Oh shit, don't cry Erza, I didn't mean to make you ups— "

Erza cut him off with a kiss. Gray froze in surprise, but quickly got over it and kissed her back eagerly. It was slow and sweet. A surge of warmth washed over him as he felt her cup his cheeks. He sighed contentedly, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

Erza broke away and smiled lovingly at him. "Idiot. Don't make me cry with that sentimental stuff."

Gray chuckled lightly, wiping her tears off her face. "I'll take that as a good thing. Does that mean… you know…you— "

"Why do you think you're the only one I've ever let myself be vulnerable around? Seriously Gray, you're such an idiot.."

He smiled. "Well, I'm _your_ idiot now, so deal with it."

"I guess I'll have to," she sighed as she pulled him in for another kiss.

* * *

Are your teeth rotted after all that fluff yet? ;)

I had to do it, guys. I had to bring up the Lucky Day. IT HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL! And Mashima hasn't put it to good use! Who knows though, maybe he will bring it up again in the future to ties loose ends up. I mean, there has to be some closure to that topic, otherwise why would he even put it in there, right? Ugh, it's so frustrating, sometimes.


	4. Battle

_The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us, but those who win battles we know nothing about._

* * *

Early morning sunlight streamed in through the windows, stirring Erza from her sleep. She groggily rubbed her eyes and turned to read the clock. _9:00 A.M. _She'd have to get up soon to go to the guild, but she had some time to spare. She turned back over to face the person next to her—who was slightly drooling—and smiled.

"Hey, sleepyhead, wake up."

No response.

She nudged him lightly. "Gray. Wake up."

He stirred slightly, but still remained asleep. Erza was starting to lose her patience.

She grabbed his nose and pinched it, preventing him from breathing. Needless to say, Gray woke up immediately with a start.

"What the fu—" He stopped himself when he saw Erza's devilish smile. He weakly glared at her. "Was that necessary?"

She propped herself up on her elbow, smirking down at him. "Hm, well, yes. You weren't waking up, so I had to use some force." He only huffed in response.

"Oh, don't be such a baby." She ran her hand through his hair, lifting it off his forehead to get a better look at his scar. She didn't know why it stood out to her now; it had been there for a while, but she never really paid much attention to it. She was curious how many other scars he had that she hadn't noticed.

She stroked her thumb over the small scar. She looked back down at Gray to find him watching her intently, a questioning look in his eyes. "Gray… how did you get this?"

He looked a little surprised, but answered anyway. "When we on that job to Garuna Island, I ran into Lyon there. He was the one behind the whole moon drip ritual on Deliora, as you know, and I… just lost my cool. We fought. He beat me, and this is what I was left with." He frowned slightly. "I thought Lucy or Natsu told you that before."

"She did, but I didn't know this was from that time. I suppose I didn't pay enough attention." Her hand dropped to slightly larger scar on his chest. How had she not noticed these before? "And this?"

His eyes dropped to the scar on his chest. "Edolas, I think. There was this weird guy—sugar-something? —that tried to get away with the dragon cannon key. When I froze both our hands to break the key, I warned him that his softening sword would make the key jelly too. So he blindsided me and cut me up instead. But I beat him up in the end anyway," he finished with a smug smirk. "He kept calling me Ice Boy though…" Gray shuddered at the memory.

Erza raised an eyebrow, an amused smile forming on her lips. "Ice Boy? I might have to make use of that name now…"

"Please don't," Gray groaned.

Erza laughed. She loved teasing him. "No promises." Her eyes caught the tip of an X-shape engraved in his skin poking out of the blanket. She lifted the blanket away from his stomach, eyes widening when she saw the scar on his side. It was at least double the size of the others. She traced the shape gently in wonder. How many times had he gotten hurt so badly in battles and she had never known? Why hadn't she been there for him at these times?

Gray watched her, already knowing she was going to ask. "Tenrou Island. Got into a fight with… with Ultear." He hesitated, but continued anyway. "She could dissolve my ice back to water, so I cut myself to use my blood against her. She couldn't use her magic on living things. Stupid idea, right? But… it saved me in the end."

Erza leaned down and kissed him. She knew Ultear was a bit of a sensitive subject for him ever since she "disappeared". She had a feeling there was something more to it than a simple disappearance, but she never pushed the subject with Gray. He'd tell her when he was ready.

She pulled away, stroking his face. "Yeah… stupid, but brave. I'm sure she'd agree."

He only smiled sadly. "Yeah."

She brought his hand to a small scar on her shoulder. "My battle with Kagura. She unsheathed her sword, Archenemy, on me when I told her about Simon." She gripped his hand a little tighter. "But… I wouldn't let my guilt consume me. I fought back, and I won. I almost forgot that he entrusted this life to me…but I will never forget again."

Gray brought her in for another kiss, but it was different this time. It was as if he was sharing his pain, his suffering, but also his understanding. When he finally pulled away, she had to remind herself how to breathe as she panted for air. She looked into his dark eyes as he now hovered over her, a mutual understanding passing between them. She raised her hands to cup his face as she found her voice again.

"We all have scars, Gray," she whispered, hoping he'd catch on to the double meaning behind her words.

He nodded slightly, and she knew he did. "I know," he whispered back, dipping down to claim her lips again.

* * *

I'M SORRY GUYS. I forgot to upload this prompt yesterday. But now there's 2 prompts in one day so I hope that makes up for it?


	5. Kiss

Erza sat on the couch, admiring her handiwork as she looked around their apartment. She mentally patted herself on the back. The apartment was spotless, organized—practically gleaming with cleanliness. The fresh scent of clean laundry filled the room, giving the place a sense of comfort and relaxation. She had even taken the liberty to start up a small fire in the fireplace, making the scene all the more cozy.

She pulled a blanket around herself, basking in its warmth. Winter had been particularly harsh to Magnolia this time around. Not that her boyfriend really minded; he practically lived for this kind of weather. She looked out the window, watching as tiny snowflakes fell to the ground. He was supposed to come from his mission with Natsu today. She only hoped the idiots didn't beat each other to death this time.

She had busied herself making hot chocolate when she heard the door unlock. Instantly she felt all jittery, like a twelve-year-old girl meeting her crush for the first time. Even after three years of dating, he still managed give her butterflies. She picked up her mug, took a sip, and waited.

Gray stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind him. "Erza? I'm hom—holy shit." He scanned the room, amazed by what he saw. He hadn't seen the apartment this clean since—well, ever. He breathed in the mixed scent of laundry and firewood, feeling a little nostalgic. It reminded him of Ur.

"Erza?" he called again. He was beginning to wonder if she was at guild when he heard rustling coming from the kitchen. He dropped his bag on the couch and walked over to the room.

"Erza? You in her—"

She cut him off with a hungry kiss, weaving her hands into his spiky dark hair. He fumbled a little, taken by surprise, but instantly recovered when he felt her tongue prodding at his lips, asking for entrance. He happily obliged, opening his mouth for her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He boldly bit her lip, eliciting a breathy moan from the redheaded mage. She tasted like chocolate. Gray smirked into the kiss. He liked that.

When he finally pulled away, both were left dazed and panting heavily. Erza recovered first, a playful smile on her lips. "Welcome back, Gray," she whispered.

He smirked lazily down at her. "Yeah…by the way, what's with the house and everything?"

She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "I thought I'd clean up and make things nice for you tonight. It's your special day, after all."

He knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "Today? Why is today special?"

Erza looked incredulously at him. "Seriously? You don't remember your own birthday, Gray?"

Realization slowly dawned on him. He thought back to when he left for his mission with Natsu one week ago. It had been December 10th, if he remembered correctly. That would make today… the 17th. He was twenty-three today. He felt a blush creep on his cheeks in utter embarrassment. "O-Oh…" He scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "I guess I lost track of time?"

Erza rolled her eyes, bringing his head down to kiss him again. "I'm in love with a complete idiot," she mumbled against his lips.

He felt his heart burst at her nonchalant comment. He broke away, leaning in by her ear. "And I can't get enough of you, Erza," he whispered huskily. He placed light kisses along her jaw, making his way back to her lips. He stared into her half-lidded brown eyes. "Especially these," he said before he attacked her lips again.

Her hands pulled at his shirt, itching to take it off. She stopped his ministrations to look him dead in the eye, a seductive smile on her lips. "Take all of me then," she said before adding devilishly, "as your birthday present."

He claimed her delicious lips again, lifting her up to wrap her legs around his waist. "With pleasure," he murmured, making his way to their bedroom.

* * *

In which I accidentally-not-really change the prompt from kiss to birthday?

I tried to redirect it back to kiss I really did

okay bye


	6. till death do us part

Their time was running out.

She knew this, of course. She knew it the moment she saw him get struck down. She knew it the moment she charged in after the demon, only to be struck down in the same manner. It must've been at least 10 times stronger than Deliora in its prime; she'd even dare to say it was as strong as a dragon. She knew they were no match, but they tried anyway— nobody attacks their guild and gets away with it, after all.

She thought this time would be just like the time Phantom Lord attacked the guild— they'd fight back and destroy this demon for hurting their friends. But, fate seemed to hate her, subjecting her to a cruel fate such as this. She was aware of the sensation of warm blood trickling down her skin, but she couldn't find it in her to care. All she could focus on was Gray. The man who was there for her through it all, who accepted her

despite her flaws, who was stubbornly persistent, who she came to love so deeply down to her very core— he lay there beside her, bleeding to death just as she was, but he still had that same lazy smile on his face as he looked at her. She felt hot tears stream down her face. How can he look so calm and familiar when they were on the verge of death?

"G-Gray…" Erza croaked, trying to force her words out of her dry throat. "I don't want to leave yet…" She clenched her teeth, unable to control her tears now. She wanted to live. She wanted to keep living with him, build a family with him, grow old with him— and now she couldn't. It was all now merely dreams that she desperately tried to reach for, but could never grasp in her hands.

"Me either, Erza…but it looks like we have no choice," he rasped as he coughed up more blood.

She wriggled her hand up to clutch his, her thumb stroking the ring on his finger. She looked at the identical one on hers, along with another ring decorated with a small ruby and two diamonds on either side.

"_Erza Scarlet, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, even though you'll kick my ass plenty of times for something stupid I'll inevitably do. But I don't care, as long as you're by my side. So, will you marry me?"_

_She tackled him to the ground, joyful tears streaming down her face. "Of course I will, idiot."_

She hated this.

"_Do you, Gray Fullbuster, take Erza Scarlet to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"_

_He smiled lovingly at her, slipping the ring onto her finger. "I do."_

"_And do you, Erza Scarlet, take Gray Fullbuster to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"_

_She slipped the ring on his finger, her smile as bright as the sun. "I do."_

"_Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!"_

She absolutely hated this.

"'Till death do us part, huh…"she whispered. She looked him in the eye, a pleading look in hers. "Gray, promise me something."

He squeezed her hand. "Anything."

She struggled to stay conscious now, feeling her life force ebbing away from her. "Promise me…that this isn't it. P-promise me that we'll find each other, some… somehow." She paused, trying to focus all her energy into her words. "Promise me that you'll never give up."

Silent tears started to fall from his half-lidded eyes. "I promise."

She tried to smile, one last time, for him. "I love you, Gray…"

"I love you too, Erza…" Gray whispered, closing his eyes.

She finally relaxed at his last words, closing her own eyes, succumbing to the darkness enveloping her.

* * *

I think I broke my own heart with this...fUCK


	7. Family

Erza woke up that morning feeling extremely nauseous, made her way into the bathroom, and threw up…again.

"Again?" she heard her husband ask as she felt her hair being pulled back. "Erza, you should see a doctor about this. This is the third time in a row."

"I'm fine, Gray." She flushed her stomach's contents and stood. "I must've eaten something bad, that's all…" she trailed off, grabbing her toothbrush and toothpaste, intent on washing the filth out of her mouth.

"For three days in a row? Come on, Erza, you know that's not the case here. You only ate soup last night to _calm your stomach_ and it happened again." He wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his forehead on her shoulder. "I'm just worried about you," he confessed softly.

She couldn't help but feel a little guilty about making him worry. She had an idea of what was wrong with her, but she didn't want to bring it up unless she knew for sure. She'd have to discuss her suspicions with the women of Fairy Tail later.

She rinsed out her mouth and wiped excess paste from her face, turning around to face him. "Gray, I'll be fine. I promise."

He placed a light kiss on her forehead before leaving the room. "I hope so."

* * *

"So, you've been throwing up every morning for the past three days?" Mirajane inquired.

"Yeah."

"And you didn't eat anything that would upset your stomach."

"Yeah."

Lucy scratched her chin in thought. "Have you been feeling tired lately? Sluggish?"

Erza paused, her brow furrowed in thought. Now that Lucy mentioned it, she _had_ been feeling tired all the time, going to sleep at an earlier hour than usual. "Yes, I suppose so."

Levy narrowed her eyes. "Erza, when was the last time you got your period?"

"Uh…a month ago?" To be honest, she wasn't really sure. She hadn't gotten it for a while now…which could only mean one thing.

Lucy gave her a knowing smile. "Erza, I think we'd better go get a pregnancy test."

* * *

She was restless. Five minutes her ass! She felt like she'd been pacing the hallway for hours.

The possibility that she could be pregnant with Gray's child made her anxious, yet extremely happy. Were they ready to be parents? They were twenty-four and twenty-five respectively, and had been married for two years. They hadn't really discussed starting a family, the topic only coming up once in a blue moon, and each time Erza didn't know how to answer him. She had never really given it some thought; was she ready to be a mother? Would she even be a good mother?

Erza fanned herself, trying to calm down. She was being unreasonable and she knew it, but she couldn't quite squash the panicky feeling in her chest. It wasn't like she didn't want to start a family with Gray—she really did. She had no reason to question their potential as parents, seeing how they've interacted with Wendy in the past and even now. She was psyching herself out.

Erza's thoughts came to a halt when she heard the door open. She glanced at the clock— it was only seven in the evening. Usually Gray would've stayed longer at the guild, talking and fighting with everyone. Why had he come back so early?

"Erza?"

She panicked and ducked into the bathroom, practically diving for the pregnancy test. She scrambled to pick it up, reading it just as Gray walked into the bathroom.

"Erza? What are you doing?"

She didn't answer.

"Erza?" She heard him walking over to her. She took a deep breath and turned to look at him.

"Gray, I'm pregnant."

He instantly froze, his eyes widening. She watched as his shocked expression slowly melted into a huge grin. Her heart almost burst at how happy he looked, feeling a smile form on her own lips.

"You're pregnant?" She nodded, her smile getting wider. "Oh my god…I'm going to be a dad."

"And I'm going to be a mother…" she said, feeling giddiness fill her body.

"We're going to be parents!" He lifted her into his arms, spinning her around as he laughed. "This is amazing!"

She giggled along with him, his happiness rubbing off on her. "Yeah."

He set her down, grabbing her by the shoulders. "How far along are you?"

"I don't know, I just found out now." She poked his cheek affectionately. "Are you happy about it, though?"

Gray gave her an incredulous look. "Happy? Are you kidding me? Erza, I'm ecstatic! We're going to have a family of our own!"

Her smile faltered as she came down from her high. "Yeah, but we've never talked about this before. Well, not in detail, at least. Are we ready, Gray? Are we ready to raise a child?"

His eyes softened. "You tell me, Erza. I've been ready, but every time I've brought it up in the past, you just avoid it." He brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. "What's bothering you?"

She bit her lip nervously. "I…I'm just scared. What if I'm not a good mother? There's so much I don't know, it's overwhelming. I don't want to mess up," she confessed.

"Erza, I've seen you with Wendy and Asuka before. Seeing you interact with them is what made me think about bringing up starting a family in the first place. You don't even realize how motherly you are." He engulfed her in a hug, placing his chin on top of her head. "You'll be fine, I'm sure of it. And if you don't know some things, you can always learn." He kissed her hair. "We'll take this step by step. How does that sound to you, Mrs. Fullbuster?"

She smiled into his chest, kissing his guild mark. "Sounds good to me, Mr. Fullbuster."

* * *

I...I don't have any excuse why I didn't update yesterday. I'm sorry?!

and as as side note (i.e. complaint) I really hate how ff seems to automatically correct any excess punctuation. Like no I meant to put extra question marks there in my A/N LET ME DO IT ugh


	8. Tease

Erza Scarlet loved to tease Gray Fullbuster.

She considered it one of her favorite past times, messing with the ice mage. She knew he found her attractive, maybe even liked her; she'd caught him not-so-subtly staring at her on more than one occasion. She couldn't deny her attraction to him either though, but she thought that made teasing him all the more fun.

So when she walked into Fairy Tail that morning, she was more than determined to make him _squirm_.

She strolled in, scarlet hair swishing behind her in a ponytail, politely greeting her fellow guild mates. She spotted him at the bar, swirling the ice in his drink in a bored manner. She smirked, a plan formulating in her mind as she made her way over to him.

"Hello, Gray," Erza greeted as she slid on the seat next to him.

"Hey Erza," he drawled. He glanced at her and frowned. "How are you wearing your armor right now? It's boiling hot outside."

She inwardly smirked. He fell right into her trap.

"Now that you mention it, I am feeling a little hot," she said, ex-quipping into a thin tank top and shorts with a sigh of relief. He wasn't lying; the sun was beating down mercilessly on Magnolia, so much so that she saw steam rising from the streets. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and found him staring at her legs. _Hook, line, and sinker._

She gave him a sly look. "What are you looking at, Gray?"

He quickly looked away, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Nothing."

"Oh? Then what's that blush for?"

His face only reddened more. "I-I'm just hot, that's all."

"Hm, well I agree with you on that…" she murmured as she eyed his bare chest. She was surprised he still had his pants on.

He sputtered on his drink. "W-What did you say?"

She smiled teasingly. "Oh, I'm sure you heard me." She looked up to find Mirajane cleaning glasses, a knowing smile on her face. "Mira, do you have any italian ice?"

"Actually, yeah. Master brought in some today. Strawberry, I'm guessing?" She nodded. "Gray, do you want any?"

"Yeah, anything's fine."

"Alright, I'll be right back," Mira said as she walked into the back room.

Erza turned to face him. "Gray, let's go for a walk when she comes back. It's really not any better in here, so we might as well do something," she suggested.

Gray simply shrugged. "I'm up for anything."

She smirked at his nonchalant comment. "I'll hold you to that."

* * *

He watched in agony and slight jealously as Erza swirled her tongue around her spoon, happily eating her ice. She was doing this on purpose, he was sure, torturing him by teasing him like this. He wasn't sure how much more he could take before he'd lose all self-control.

"What? Do you want a taste?" Erza asked, a sly smile on her lips. He wanted to kiss those lips so badly.

"If you're willing to share," he challenged, smirking in triumph at her slightly surprised expression. Two can play this game.

She shifted closer to him on the bench they were currently seated on, leaning in close so their lips were only centimeters apart. "Taste, then," she hummed.

He was about to close the gap when he felt something cold shoved into his mouth. Gray immediately backed away, almost choking on the ice that she so graciously shared with him. He pounded his chest, gasping in relief when he finally swallowed the ice. He turned to glare at her but instead found himself watching in astonishment as Erza full-out laughed at his expense. He hadn't seen her laugh that hard in years. Watching her, he couldn't help but chuckle himself.

"You're such a tease," he said when she finally calmed down, giving her a playful smile.

"And you're so easy to tease," she quipped, nudging him with her shoulder.

"That's too bad. I was really looking forward to tasting those," he said, pointedly looking at her lips.

Erza moved to straddle him, wrapping her arms around his neck and brought his face closer to hers again. "Who said you couldn't?" she murmured seductively.

"I don't know. Must've been my imagination," he purred before leaning in to claim her awaiting lips.

* * *

Well that was short and crappy

And Grayza week is over! Ugh, it makes me sad. This was really fun. It was nice to see that so many people support this ship!

And now, I won't be updating everyday. (Not like I was anyway towards the end OTL) Might be once every few days, maybe once a week, I don't know. Whenever an idea strikes me, I guess.


End file.
